The crash occurred when Albon, on an out lap and preparing for a final run, came across Perez on track. Perez was in the middle of a race simulation and moving much more slowly than Albon. Albon attempted to overtake Perez on the inside at turn 16 of the turns 16-17 chicane, resulting in a collision that damaged both cars.
The stewards investigated the incident and decided not to penalize either driver. They determined the collision resulted from a misunderstanding contributed to by a lack of communication from Perez's team to Perez. Both drivers accepted that neither was wholly or predominantly to blame for the collision.
Perez reported that the virtual mirror on his Cadillac had failed, which should have automatically warned him of Albon's approach. Perez's team explained they assumed Albon would hold position behind Perez and did not warn Perez of Albon's approach.
Albon believed Perez was letting him through because Perez took a wide line at the entry to turn 16. Both drivers were surprised by the closing speeds.